St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-23
" Altering THE SHEEP
A SERMON SUGGESTED BY AN Incl
DENTIN JACOBS LIFE.
Rev. T. De Witt Talmage on the Thirsty
world-The Gospel Well Open to All If
the Rock is Rolled Away-Jesus Ready
and willing to Do That If Asked.

THE HAMpToNs, July 1.-THE Rev. T
Dewitt Talmage, D. D., pastor of the
BROOKLYN Tabernacle, continues to enjoy
the summer in this pleasant place. His
sermon for to-day was on the text, 1--WE
cannot, until all the flocks be gathered
together, and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep."-Genesis xxx, 8.
A scene in Mesopotamia, beautifully
pastoral. A we'll of water of great value
in that region. The fields around about
it white with three flocks of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. l hear
their bleating coming on the bright air,
and the laughter of young men and
maidens indulging in rustic repartee. I
look off and see other flocks of sheep
coming Meanwhile, Jacob. stranger,
on the interesting errand of looking for
wife, comes to the well. A beautiful
shepherdess comes to the same we'll.
see her approaching, followed by her
BILE meeting. Jacob married that shep-
herdess. The Bible account of it is ::
Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his
voice and wept." 1t has always been a
mystery to me what he found to cry
about But before that scene occurred,
Jacob accests the shepherds and asks
them why they postpone the shaking
of the thirst of these sheep, and why
they did not Immediately proceed to
water them. The shepherds reply to the
effect: eve are all good neighbors, and
as matter of courtesy we wait until all
the sheep of the neighborhood come up
Beside that, this stone on the wells
mouth is somewhat heavy, and several of
US take hold of ii and push it aside, and
then the buckets and the troughs are
filled, and the sheep are satisfied. We
cannot, until all the fiocks are gathered
together, and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
Oh, this is thirsty world Hot for
the head, and blistering for the feet, and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is COOL refreshing, satisfy
ing draught We wander around and
we find the cistern empty. Long and
tedious drouth has dried up the worlds
fountains, but nearly nineteen centuries
ago Shepherd, with crook in the shape
of cross, and feet cut to the bleeding,
explored the desert passages of this
world, and one day came across well a
thousand feet deep, bubbling and bright,
and opalescent, and looked to the north,
and the south, and the east, and the west,
and cried out with a voice strong and
musical that rang through the ages, "Ho,
every one that thirsteth come We to the
waters r'
Now a great flock of sheep to-day
gather around this Gospel we'll. There
are great many thirsty souls. wonder
why the iocks of all nations do not
gather, why so many stay thirsty, and
while am wondering about it, nv text
breaks forth in the explanation, saving:
"We cannot, until all the focks be gath
cred together, and till they roll this stone
from the wells mouth; then we water
the sheep"
If herd of swine come to we'll they
angrily jostle each other for the prece-
dence; If drove of cattle come to
well, they hook each other back from
the water, but when flock of sheep |
come, though hundred of them shall |
be disappointed, they only express it by
sad bleating; they come together peace
fully. We want a great multitude to
come around the Gospel we'll. l know
there are those who do not like a crowd
they think crowd is vulgar. If they
are oppressed for room in church it
makes them positively impatient and
belligerent We have had people per-
to leave our church because so
many other people come to it. Not so
did these Oriental Shepherds They
waited until all the fiocks were gathered,
and the more focks that came the better
they liked it. And so we ought to be
anxious that all the people should come.
10 out into the highways and the hedges
and compel them to come in. Go to the
rich and tell them they are INDECENT
the Gospel of Jesus. Go to the
Door and tell them the at1uence there is
n Christ Go to the blind and tell them
II the touch that gives eternal illumi-
latlon. 20 to the lame and tell them of
he joy that will make the lame man
cap like hart. Gather all the sheep
III all the mountains. None so torn .
# the dogs, none so sick, none so t
Worried, none so dying, as to be omit
~ hoo SIShCt SICdt Hulk All |
brooklyn in flock; all New York in a |
lock; all London in a flock; all the s
World in flock. This well of the Cos t
el is deep enough to put out the burn
ng thirst of the twelve hundred millions t
+ the race. Do not let the church, by e
spirit of exclusiveness, keep the world l
ut. Let down all the bars, swing open y
II the gates, scatter all the invitations s
Whosoever will, let him come" Come, o
7hite and black. Come, red men of the y
orest. Come. Laplander, out of the y
now. Come, Patagonian, out of the o
eat. Come in furs. Come painting un- c
er palm leaves. Come one. Come all. e
ONE now. AS at this well of Mesopo- y
mia, Jacob and Rachel were betrothed, '
} this morning, at this we'll of saliva Fl
on, Christ our Shepherd will meet you t,
'ming up with your long f1ocks of cares y
I'd anxieties, and He will stretch out Y
is hand in pledge of His affection, B
lille all Heaven will cry out: Behold b
e bridegroom cometh, go We out to meet "
i'm" a.
You notice that this we'll of Mesopo- Il
mia had stone on it, which must be re- h
owed before the sheep could be watered; tt
Id find on the well of salvation to-day m
lpediments and obstacles, which must h
removed in order that you NAV obtain